Enhanced Capacities of 73 Local Self-Governments for the Realization of Children's Rights

A total of 118 managers and employees from 73 local self-governments across Serbia have been trained to enhance the realization of children's rights, as highlighted at the final conference of the project "Enhancing the Capacities of Local Self-Government for the Realization of Children's Rights," organized by the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities (SCTM) in collaboration with UNICEF. The project was implemented as part of the Programme "PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature" jointly carried out by United Nations agencies in Serbia – UNOPS, UNICEF, UNFPA, and UNEP, in collaboration with the Government of Serbia and with financial support from the Swiss Government.

Throughout 2023, six three-day accredited regional training sessions and one webinar were conducted for representatives of local self-governments working in organizational units responsible for social protection, healthcare, public health, education, and social care for children. Under the UN Joint Programme, funds were provided for training in 20 municipalities selected by the project. Recognizing the importance of including more local self-governments, UNICEF provided additional funds to involve another 53 municipalities from other parts of Serbia.

"The multi-year collaboration in empowering the capacities of local self-governments to carry out numerous responsibilities related to the realization of children's rights has resulted in increased interest from local self-governments in planning, budgeting, implementing local measures, and strengthening intersectoral cooperation among relevant local actors," emphasized Ivan Milivojevic, Deputy Secretary-General of SCTM.

To ensure that local self-governments prioritize the rights and needs of children, it is essential for them to familiarize themselves with and understand children's rights, have sufficient capacity and resources for developing and implementing local plans and budgets in line with the priorities of children, adolescents, and their families, said Ana Prodanovic, UNICEF Serbia Child Rights Monitoring Specialist.

"Four years ago, UNICEF and the Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-Government launched a training programme aimed at improving the understanding of children's rights among municipal employees. This year, employees from a total of 73 municipalities had the opportunity to attend training tailored to the specificities and needs of our local communities. The training included practical examples and best practices for the effective implementation of children's rights in the daily work of municipal administrations," stated Prodanovic.

Switzerland is committed to sustainable development through strengthening local self-governance and good governance, which forms the basis of the PRO - Local Governance for People and Nature programme, stated Petar Vasilev, National Program Officer for Management from the Swiss Cooperation Office.

"Through the training implemented in this project, employees in local self-governments have gained the skills and knowledge necessary to create policies that comprehensively support the development and realization of children's rights. By prioritizing the needs of children, we invest in a fairer and more equitable future, where everyone has the opportunity to progress," emphasized Vasilev.

On this occasion, a panel discussion was organized under the title "Local Self-Government as a Leader in Local Children's Rights Policy – Good Practices and Challenges for Ensuring, Realizing, and Protecting Children's Rights in the Local Community," with the participation of representatives from the cities of Sabac and Nis, the municipalities of Vrbas and Odzaci, as well as experts from SCTM.